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Elspeth Bennett
Elspeth Josephine Bennett (nee Boudoin) is a character on the series, Harpers Falls: New Beginnings. She is played by UK actress Julie Goodyear, best known for her role of Bet Lynch, one of the most well-known of the Rover's Return Pub barmaids and landladies, on the long-running UK Soap Opera, Coronation Street, on a recurring basis. Julie explains that she infuses a lot of Bet's joie de vivre into the role of the much older Elspeth. "When it comes to Elspeth, she is a lot like a more older and wiser Bet." she said, "She dresses more sensibly, a LOT more sensibly than Bet would even dare to, but yet, while she is still able to be a bit quirky and fun-loving, she realizes that she has a lot responsibilities, including the fact that she was a wife for a long time, also a mother and now a grandmother. It's a mix of pensiveness and yet she is still a lot of fun to play. She is the perfect example of a perfect role. If Bet had a strait-laced but still fun-loving sister, it would be Elspeth." The Bennett family matriarch Born in Manchester, UK, Elspeth Boudoin was a wealthy and cultured woman who had met her love of her life in her middle years. She was an old friend of Lady Dorothy Jones Bradford, the Lady Chancellor of the Royal family; and had done some charity work for the Royals. She was in her late 30s when she met and married London businessman Neville Bennett. She moved from Manchester, where she had always lived to London to be with Neville. From this union, there were two children born, Steven the oldest and most level-headed; and Nigel, who tended to be more than troublesome. As the two grew up, Elspeth noticed the differences between her well-behaved Steven and the more troublemaking Nigel. Nigel DID try to be better, even when he was married to Sharmaine Jones but his troublesome tendencies reared their head when he committed bigamy with Erica Harper. While nobody in her family knew about her marriage to Nigel, the Bennetts knew and did not approve of it. Her joy was complete when she received a grandchild, although she was more than sickened at the methods that Nigel had used. He had impregnated Hannah Harper Atchley, the niece of his wife, Erica, for her to have a baby. Nonetheless, she dotes on the grandchild, a beautiful little girl named Maggie Harper Atchley. She also dotes on Maggie's cousins, all of them as she has become a part of the Harper family. Elspeth, having had enough of living in London, decided to make a visit to see her son, Steven, and she enjoyed Boston so much, she wound up staying there. Whether Neville will come over hasn't been determined, but he enjoys visiting his granddaughter. She also gets along wonderfully with Hannah's parents, Michael and Wendy, and is a good friend to Hannah's brother, Dylan. She had discovered a long time ago, she and Neville, after having been apart for so long, finally realized that their marriage was over. They divorced amicably, and to this day, remain good friends. A familiar face to the Harper family has begun taking a clear liking to Elspeth and she is awaiting to see what comes of it. Rumors place it to be the now revealed to be alive, Richard Harper, the father of her friend, Michael. However, that romance has been scuttled, when she discovered, with the aide of Michael and Wendy, that "Richard" wasn't Richard Harper, but an imposter named Frank Wallace, who had been hired by Michael's evil sister, Erica, to murder Dylan to get her hands on the Harper fortune. An infuriated Elspeth told off Frank and proceeded to slap him in the face, especially when she learned he was married! Elspeth has become more a part of the Harpers, since she is connected through her son, Steven. She is attached and is devoted to the Harpers and, although she is no longer married to Neville, she still maintains a good friendship with him. Recently, she was overjoyed to learn that Steven is engaged to Samantha Harper and is looking forward to really becoming a part of the Harper family. Elspeth is enthused when her son finally marries Samantha, and they begin to enjoy their married life. Sadly for her, Neville passes away, but she gains the support of her sister, Maranda. Maranda had never approved of Nigel being with Erica, as did Elspeth, but her sister was more militant about it. She did not trust Erica, and she was right in not doing so. After the death of Hannah, she and Maranda threw themselves into helping the now widowed Craig in helping to take care of Maggie, who was traumatized over her mother's death. Elspeth was pleased as anything when she discovered that Hannah was actually alive (it was a body double that had been killed) and she also welcomed her nephew, Jay Bennett, the son of another sister who had died with her husband in London. She and Maranda have taken to Jay and have helped him become a part of Boston society. Category:Characters Category:Harper family allies Category:Other relatives of the Harper family Category:Harper family Category:Characters married into the Harper family Category:Comic relief characters Category:Bennett family